Rare Earths & Critical Minerals Week-in-Review (for the week ending September 13, 2013): The InvestorIntel Rare Earths & Critical Minerals members average was down an exiguous -0.26% overall, while the REE Leaders Index gained +3.8% for the week, up 14 points to close at 377 on Friday the 13th.

But do not let the overall members average fool you; as you’ll soon find out, there were some stellar performances from a number of our REE companies (Five InvestorIntel members’ share prices increased +20% or more for the week).

Following very closely in second place is Arafura Resources Limited. (ASX: ARU), whose stock rose +27.78% for the week. On September 9th, the company announced that it had executed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Shenghe Resources Holding Co., a Chinese-based rare earths producer and an industry leader in rare earths production and technology development, to further advance Arafura’s Nolan’s Project. Shenghe is a Shanghai Stock Exchange listed public company and operates a rare earths processing plant in Leshan City and markets specialty rare earth products to international and Chinese-based customers.

Rare Element Resources Ltd. (TSX: RES | NYSE MKT: REE) was up +22.66% and +21.23% on the American and Canadian exchanges respectively – on no new announcements. Rare Earth Resources is developing the company’s Bear Lodge REE Property in Wyoming, located in one of the world’s best mining jurisdictions.

Texas Rare Earth Resources Corp. (OTCQX: TRER) was up +20% on Chairman Anthony Marchese’s interview with yours truly. Marchese holds nothing back and really brings InvestorIntel viewers up to speed with all the latest developments at Texas Rare Earth Resources, including the company’s revised CAPEX from $2.1 billion to under $350 million (Anthony actually feels the final number will be under $300 million in the forthcoming revised Preliminary Economic Assessment), that TRER has the largest holmium deposit on the planet, the company’s low market cap, how the company’s resources (with a 100-plus-year mine life and a net present value of over $1 billion) is comprised of “critical” rare earths and the status of the company’s revised PEA.

Other topics discussed include: US REE sustainability and how Texas Rare Earth Resources’ land and the China clay deposits are the only REE deposits in the world to use heap leach extraction.

Hastings Rare Metals Limited (ASX: HAS) gained +17.65 % for the week on the September 10th news that Hastings signed a strategic alliance with a REE partner. Hastings has attracted a REE partner, which has significant experience in operating mines (specifically in mining and processing heavy rare earths) and investing in the mining industry. The strategic partner’s REE separation facility consistently achieves high purity and high recovery rates for key elements, including dysprosium and yttrium (purity of up to 99.999%). This could lead to staged funding of the Hastings Project in Western Australia towards commercial production and technical assistance.

Shares in Minco Plc (AIM: MIO) gained +10.71 last week on no news. Minco is a very impressive company and a consistently strong performer and we started following Minco when they acquired Buchans Minerals Corporation in July. Currently Minco has numerous projects around the world, including: England, Ireland Mexico and Canada (New Brunswick and Newfoundland).

When Ian Chalmers speaks, we all enjoy listening as an industry leader. Be sure not to miss my exclusive interview (part II) with Alkane Resources Ltd. (ASX: ALK | OTCQX: ANLKY) Managing Director, Ian Chalmers. Ian, who is unquestionably one of the brightest minds in the REE business, provided InvestorIntel viewers with an update on his multi-commodity play and discussed just what is going on with the rare earth market currently, as well as zirconium, tantalum, what countries are increasing their stakes in niobium, and Ian’s picks for the most in-demand light and heavy rare earths for 2014.

InvestorIntel’s REE expert Robin Bromby covered the sector like no other last week, especially when it comes to REEs and Russia, China and Australia. Like many, Robin sees signs that the sector is bouncing back.

An accomplished entrepreneur Tracy Weslosky is the CEO for InvestorIntel Corp., a company that publishes InvestorIntel.com, a trusted source of online market information for investors ... <Read more about Tracy Weslosky>

Now that is an interesting rumour, been a little surprising that none of the US big consumers like GE/GM have followed the Japanese (Toyota/Shin Etsu/JOMEC) & Euro’s (Rhodia/Siemens?) model of forming JV’s to secure supply.

GE would be a massive consumer across so many of its divisions but presumably with so much manufacture in China it was comfortable with its sources. Perhaps this in now changing with the revitalisation of GE’s old industrial park in the US, cheap US energy and less hospitable conditions in China.
Should something eventuate here with GE, or any other biggie like GM, it would certainly refocus attention back on RE. With China desperately trying to put the RARE back in RE, endorsement from GE might just get the market’s attention.

Can’t help but wonder if Lynas’s new COO Jean (Claude) STEINMETZ, with 15 years experience at GE, might be a catalyst. Regardless, it would be a very positive development for the industry as a whole, and one that could lift it out of the doldrums.

In February 2013 I spoke with Peter Cashin, in our conversation he mentioned possible end users such as G E in regards to the fact that the incandescent light bulb, which will cease to be made 2015 or thereabouts. In favour of modern technology.

Quest is also in discussions with potential industrial partners for evaluations of the product results obtained to date. The chemistry received from the HREE+Y concentrate is seen as aligning well with the ideal metal distribution required by one of the third parties with which Quest is currently in discussions regarding a potential partnership.

I realize that 1 + 1 does not make 3 but I guess there is something a float.

Thank you Veritas Bob. I like the team at TANTALUS, but we have been out of touch for awhile…will call them when I get back from London and ask them for an update. Let’s give TRER some credit due here though — they have been proving one benchmark at a time that they are real players in this REE race…thanks for your comments as always.